THE CELEBRATION (aka FESTEN): FOMO Indi Film Fest Screening
Tuesday 10. March at 21:30 - 23:15
FOMO Secret Cinema, Tbilisi
Thomas Vinterberg | 1998 | Denmark | 1h45m | Danish language with English subtitles
THE CELEBRATION is presented as part of our extended Independent Film Fest at FOMO Secret Cinema, Tbilisi, showcasing the best emerging filmmaking talent from across the globe.
In 1995, Danish filmmakers Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg published the Dogme 95 manifesto, a set of strict rules designed to strip cinema down to its essentials. Artificial lighting, elaborate sets, genre conventions, and technical spectacle were banned. The goal was to return filmmaking to performance, story and emotional truth.
THE CELEBRATION became the first official Dogme 95 film ever produced. Shot with handheld digital cameras and natural lighting, the film follows a large family gathering at a country hotel to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of their patriarch. What begins as a formal dinner slowly unravels when the eldest son raises a devastating accusation that forces the family to confront a buried past.
The rough, intimate style of the film places the audience directly inside the unfolding drama. Conversations overlap, the camera moves restlessly between characters, and the atmosphere shifts from polite celebration to emotional confrontation. The result feels less like a staged drama and more like a private family event we were never meant to witness.
Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998, THE CELEBRATION won the Jury Prize and quickly became one of the most influential European independent films of the decade. More than two decades later, it remains the defining example of the Dogme movement and a powerful reminder that cinema can achieve extraordinary emotional impact with the simplest possible tools.
Location: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.
How to find FOMO: Enter the Bazari via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left as soon as you enter next to the karaoke booth. FOMO is one flight up. Video instructions here: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17933106294029235
T&Cs: Guests must enter the Bazari by 23:00 to gain access to the FOMO Cinema Lounge Bar. If the Atoneli St entrance is locked you can get in via the side entrance on Sulkhanishvil St between 21:00 and 23:00. We close at 02:00 each evening. No refunds are issued unless we cancel the screening ourselves.
FOMO Secret Cinema • Bazari Orbeliani, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
